8) Introduction to Hermeneutics and Authorial Intent

In the last lesson, we discussed seeking truth. That should be every disciple's goal: to pursue truth. Though evangelicals agree that the Bible is the sole source of truth, there is much disagreement about the content and meaning of that truth. What happens when multiple people equally committed to the authority of the Scriptures read the exact same words and come away with different meanings? Whose interpretation is correct? Who actually understands the truth of the Bible? 

Hermeneutics is the discipline that deals with the theory and practice of interpretation. "Hermeneutics" is a method or principle used for interpreting Scripture. In a broader sense, it is the science of establishing interpretive principles or methods.How we interpret the Bible dictates the outcome of our inheritance of truth. We may desire truth, but receiving truth depends on our hermeneutics. Hermeneutics and biblical interpretation have become exceedingly complicated in modern times.

How do we know what a biblical author meant? What did the author intend for his hearers to understand? What is the author's intent? Interpretation is the process of establishing meaning and, most importantly, a text's original meaning- what the author intended to communicate.

Once we are comfortable with a passage's facts, we can determine what they mean. Using hermeneutics (rules or principles of interpretation), we can understand why the writer chose the words he did, what he was trying to convey to his readers at that time, and what they learned from it. Before we propose how a message might apply to our lives today, we must be clear about what it meant "back then."

This is best comprehended by understanding the language, history, and context from which the author was writing. What do the words themselves mean in their historical context? To understand what the Bible is actually saying, we must appreciate fundamental linguistic issues (English word meanings and syntax often do not correspond to the original Greek and Hebrew), and we must understand fundamental differences in literary genre (e.g., narrative, poetic, wisdom, prophetic, epistolary, and apocalyptic literature).

Simply put, people say things in different ways. Moreover, people express things in specific historical contexts involving cultural, geographical, and political issues. All of this is necessary to understand the occasion and purpose of the biblical writings. That is often one of our first challenges when interpreting Scripture appropriately. 

In the Book of 2 Chronicles 7:14, it reads, "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land," is often misinterpreted. This verse has been used to "claim" loved ones for God's kingdom or assume God's healing for the United States because a group of people humbled themselves, prayed, and turned to the LORD. However, God did not promise to heal our land in our time. He was speaking to a specific group of people (the Israelites) at a particular time (the days of King Solomon) about a specific land (the land of Israel).

Assumptions occur when the reader bypasses the interpretation stage and jumps directly from reading to application. Only after meaning has been established (the process of interpretation) can we begin to mine the text for principles or life applications and appropriately derive general principles about God.

This "authorial intent" issue is further complicated by the presence of the Holy Spirit. As evangelicals, we believe the Scriptures are inspired by the Spirit of God, as Peter clearly declared: 

Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21, ESV Bible)

Here lies the great chasm between conservatives and liberals. Generally, liberals view the authorial intent of the Scriptures primarily from the human side. In contrast, conservatives view it more from the divine perspective. Biblical writers were human people. Thus, they are inherently flawed and make mistakes. They fail to be perfect 100% of the time. However, the message spoken through them by the Holy Spirit remains infallible. Thus, we are left with a hermeneutical Great Commandment: seek first God and his intent for the text, and secondly, seek the intention of the human author, a person like yourself. Sometimes, God is just looking for people willing to put themselves in a place to receive truth.